A Secret to Hide; Christopher's Kind Gestures
The captain of the Sirius and his crew had eventually found me. It was hard not to with my annoying banging on the barrel I was stuck in. I was somehow able to fall asleep hiding from Junpei until I finally woke up to the feeling of my stomach being queasy. The chef whose name is Nathan was the first to hear me. He wasn't exactly too happy to find that I was there in the barrel. When he took me to the others in the mess hall they instantly recognized me from my uncles bar. I tried to explain how I got onto the ship and why I was even here but Eduardo the navigator and the one who has the eye patch began to threaten that he would throw me into the ocean feeding me to the sharks if I didn't come up with a better excuse then after that he called me a kid. Which to be quite honest I was. After the doctor Christopher scolded Eduardo they all went about trying to figure out what to do with me. I begged them to take me back so I wouldn't be a burden but Morgan the captain said that would be impossible that they were already heading to their next destination. I understood that I really did. But they didn't know that there was an eighth person in the conversation. As soon as Eduardo threatened me he became really agitated wanting to get us off the ship as soon as possible. He doesn't like strangers even ones that aren't a threat but he'll leave them alone so long as they leave me alone. After some time Captain Morgan decided to make me apart of their crew. So now here I am unsure of what to do, staring into the mirror of the bathroom trying to figure out something to do…before I have to spend the night with a total and complete stranger…a man no less. Christopher seemed to be the safest out of them all so I chose to stay with him. during the whole conversation on what to do with me he kept vouching for me and seems to have moral…something a little unusual for a pirate that I have ever come across. I take a deep breath,
This is a dangerous situation…
"Yeah you're right…but I think more so for them than us…" I hear Soul growl as he knows what I'm talking about, "Look I know you don't like people in general unless you know them…which is sort of stupid because that means you won't EVER like anyone."
Your point?
"Soul you know what I mean…" I say rather sternly, "You can't kill these people. They're not going to hurt me."
You don't know that-
"And neither do you…and you never do know because you always attack before you ever find out…!" I can feel my muscles tense as I become stressed at the dangerous situation I have now found myself in or rather that I have found the Sirius in. "You're not going to hurt them…got it?"
…
"SOUL!"
…no promises.
"No you are promising this time. You're not hurting anyone on this ship got it? no if, ands, or buts about it."
*sigh* yes I understand you. I won't kill anyone. With that I take one final deep breath and open the bathroom door. Ok…Soul will do his part, now I need to do mine. Unless I need to…I should keep contact as little as possible.
"Hey kid." I turn to see Eduardo glaring at me.
"Y-yes…"
"if you don't pull your own weight I'm going to feed you to the sharks got it?" I turn my gaze downwards from him and nod. I somehow can't help but feel that he will actually do it.
"yes…I understand. Did…did you need me to do something for you?"
"Don't make me laugh. I don't need help from a woman. Especially not a little kid like you." With that he walks by me with a smug grin on his face. Is he always so blunt? I can't help but feel like he actually was just teasing me though. something wizzes by me,
"Ow!" I turn to see Eduardo holding the back of his head. "What the hell?!" I look down to see a stray pebble that had his him. I don't even know where it could have come from. Quickly I leave the area so not to suffer his wrath before I turn mine on someone else,
Soul! What did I just say?
You said I couldn't kill them…never said anything about throwing things at them. well he has me there.
Trying to make myself useful I try doing some house work that I could find to do. I start with sweeping the floor when I notice Thomas trying to take care of some laundry. Even though Soul complains I still help Thomas hang the laundry before going back to what I was doing first. Although I stay as quiet as possible Thomas follows me to help with other things to do.
"So Miss Airi did you always work at your uncle's bar?"
"No…um I did something else too."
"Really what was it?"
"Um…I um…nothing special…really."
"Oh… what did you do for fun when you were on your break or something?"
"I would…uh…you know normal things…nothing really special."
"Oh…ok I guess. I usually feed the seagulls. They're actually pretty nice once you get to know them. maybe when we're finished working I can introduce you to them."
"O-oh…um, sure." Thomas seems a little dejected by my responses as I keep answering his questions. I know he's trying to get me to talk but the less social I am with them the safer they me be. I stop for a moment trying to think for a moment what I could say to him to make him feel better when I see the mop bucket slide on the ground a bit.
"Watch out!" I move Thomas out of the way before the bucket and water go flying into the air and landing on the other side of the deck. I stare at the ghost bucket for a moment before I fell someone grab ahold of my shoulders,
"Miss Airi did you see that?! The bucket just…just flew on it's own!"
"Y-yeah I saw…"
"How?! It's never don't that before."
"Um…maybe the wind carried it?"
"but it was full of water; and there's hardly any wind today…you don't think it was a ghost do you?"
"No…Thomas there's no such thing as ghosts…" I'm not lying about that; Soul isn't a ghost. He's something else.
"So then what was it?" all I'm able to manage is a shrug of my shoulders,
"Um…I'm going to go…see if anyone else needs any help." I leave the awkward silence the way it is I try to find something else to do to make myself useful. I leave Eduardo out of the choices and all Russell is doing is playing look out. There's not really much I can do to help him. The next person I think of is Nathan. He's the cook so he may need help in the kitchen. Quietly I head for the kitchen and Nathan is working on making things to eat for dinner. Closing the door behind me makes his turn to see who it is.
"What do you want?"
"um…to help. I'm mean…do you need any?"
"Not much of a talker are you?" I sort of flinch at his words. Looking down I'm at a loss for words as to what to say when a bowl of carrots, potatoes and a rather large onion is thrusted into my face. "Peal and chop those…do it over there so your not in the way." He points to the table in the mess hall.
"Y-you just want me to chop these?" I ask to make sure, but it makes his eyes narrow in annoyance,
"You complaining?"
"N-no-no sir. Ok I'll do it." with that he shoves a rather sharp knife into my face and I take it with a rather shaky hand. Sensing Soul's agitation I leave the kitchen and sit down at the table. Setting the knife down first before the bowl I take out the vegetables. Realizing I need a place to set the skins of the items in something I ask Nathan for another bowl and get started. As soon as I sit down though the knife starts floating making me go stiff.
Soul! What are you doing? He doesn't answer me as the knife just floats there before it floats down to me. Is he trying to be nice? Carefully I take the handle and it doesn't resist. I can only imagine what he was thinking what he was wanting to do with that knife just a second ago before he handed it to me. I start with the carrots making sure to peel them carefully and chop them to Nathan's specification and move onto the potatoes. The potatoes don't take me as long as the carrots and I chop them as well. The pile of skins builds up in the other bowl as I finally move onto the onion. As soon as I begin peeling off the skin my eyes begin to water making it hard to keep them open for too long but I manage to do it. Relieved that I finally finished I reach for the knife to take it back to Nathan when it starts floating again and this time it aims for the kitchen. Immediately I take the handle and struggle to free it from Soul but he won't budge. I try to stay as quiet as I can wile I fight with him for the knife,
"Hey are you done yet?" I hear Nathan call
"Yeah, just about." Soul…! Let it go NOW! Again he says nothing but he suddenly releases it making me fall back landing on my butt.
"What the hell?" Soul…why are you causing trouble? "What the Hell are you doing?"
"um…I…I was getting up and my feet got…tangled." I try making some sort of excuse. It feels as though he's contemplating what to do next
"You're really dorky."
"I'm sorry." I stand and hand the knife back to him quietly along with the bowl of chopped vegetables. I rub my right arm nervously out of habit every time I feel uncomfortable with something. Nathan makes me feel like I can't talk to him even if I try. He might be even quieter than me. There's a crash from the kitchen as things go flying. Glass breaks and metal clangs as the eruption of noise continues; finally it subsides and it becomes eerily quiet. Nathan checks his kitchen first with me tailing behind him. Everything is a mess. Metal utensils are scattered all over the place, what ever he was making is all over the stove and even splattered on the walls, glass is broken all over the counters and floors and even some is imbedded in the walls. Behind us more glass breaks making me flinch guessing that it was more than likely the two bowls with the skins and chopped vegetables. I can almost feel the anger coming from Nathan right now. It's even scarier that he isn't even asking me what happened like Thomas did. He heads into the kitchen and begins picking things up.
"Um…"
"Out."
"…" he looks at me over his shoulder making me tense even more.
"I've got too much ground to cover to now that this happened and I don't need you slowing me down asking questions; go find something else to do." I take the hint and leave, more angry than frantic. Finding a room that no one seems to be using at the moment I lock the door to make sure no one barges in on me before I start pacing the floor,
"You know, it was one thing since it was that jerk Eduardo but I'm getting SICK of your pranks Soul! I ask you not to cause trouble and you do the exact opposite!"
I don't trust them…!
"That doesn't give you the right to throw BUCKETS at THOMAS or break EVERYTHING in NATHAN'S KITCHEN!"
You don't even want to be on this ship anyway why are you getting so pissed off?
"Why? How about the fact that they'll think something is going wrong with their ship, or here's a good one the girl they just let into their crew is possessed! Did you ever think of that?" he says nothing as I take a deep breath, "I hope you're really happy right now with the great work you're doing…no really give yourself a round of applause great job."
To be fair I didn't hurt any of them.
"You know what stop…because I've just about HAD it with your over protective behavior and your smothering actions." I say through gritted teeth,
That's my JOB what the hell do you want from me…?
"How about two minutes of PEACE Soul! I can't even cut vegetables with out you trying to pull something…! It's bad enough that I have to walk on eggshells around them making things awkward; I don't need your help with that. In case you forgot we're trying to keep YOU hidden from them!" He doesn't respond as I pull a chair out and sit trying to hold back my tears. "Look…" I try to choose my next words carefully so that he'll understand and behave himself, "I get it ok? I know that you care about me and I get that you feel the need to protect me…but you got to understand Soul I don't like this situation any better than you. I've been thrown way out of my comfort zone right along with you. But you would make it a lot less stressful for both of us if you would just behave yourself. Just let everyone be unless one of them actually tries to hurt me, please."
Soul remains quiet but I can sense him calming down and becoming a little less on edge. He seems to finally understand but I still wait for a response,
If either one of them so much as touches you in a way I don't like I'm not holding back. That much you need to understand.
"What if they need to catch me or something like that, if I'm falling?"
I still won't like it…but I won't do anything.
With that I take a minute to calm myself and try to relax my nerves. But not being able to stay in the room for much longer I brace myself for what may come next and leave the room. Trying to find something else to do I run into Eduardo…literally. He already doesn't really like me but the fact I've run into him with nothing to do is just going to make this even worse. He glares at me figuring out I haven't been doing anything.
"Have you found some way to make yourself useful yet?" he asks me knowingly,
"I um…I tried helping Thomas b-but um…t-that didn't work out so well…" I start rubbing my arm nervously. "S-so I tried helping Nathan…b-but he um threw me out."
"So you still haven't found a way to be useful is what I'm hearing. You must really want me to feed you to the sharks." He says smugly.
"I…I can be useful…" I say weakly as I feel all the tension a various things weighing down on me even more…he walks past me.
"Then just shut up and do it."
This is going to be harder than I thought…
Trying to shake off what just happened I try to find some other way to be useful.
…
I've been so worried about what Soul was doing today along with finding a way to work out my own position on the ship that I completely forgot about the fact I have to share a room with Christopher. Now my nerves are shot I can't take it anymore. I managed to find other small tasks to keep me busy but how do I get out of this situation. I've never slept in the same room with a guy before let alone talk to one properly. I don't know what to do? I think I'd rather sleep outside if it's this nerve racking…what if he tries something? I'm mean he seems nice but I don't know what he would do with me alone. That just could have been a front. What do I do?
"Airi?" I jump at my name. When I turn it's Christopher. "Are you alright?" I nod. "What are you doing out here? You should get some sleep so you can be rested up for tomorrow."
"um…" reflexively I rub my arm again; yet that seems to make him worry. Come walks over and places a hand on my forehead, "Um…!"
"Do you feel sick? Or is it your arm?"
"N-no…" he stares at me still concerned. Then for some reason he laughs as if he finally realized something, "What…?"
"Heehee…I guess you would be nervous sharing a room with a complete stranger wouldn't you?" I can't help but look away.
"…sorry."
"You don't have to apologize. I understand. I promise I'm not going to do anything weird."
If he does he's dead…
I don't think you have to worry about that Soul…
I nod understanding and trusting him to keep his promise.
"Were you always this quiet back in Yamato too?" he jokes
"Um…I always…had to keep to myself actually so….so I don't really know how to talk al that much to people in general."
"I guess that would make sense but why would you try to stay away from them?" he looks worried again. Unable to actually give an answer I stay quiet. "Sorry was that too personal of a question?"
"No I just can't answer it. sorry."
"Oh! Right before I forget, I had been meaning to tell you that you don't have to worry about your uncle so much anymore."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Junpei seems to have been replaced by someone else."
"What do you mean? He was replaced but that's impossible no one has gotten any reports from him in ages; he's kept us cut off from others. How did he…?"
"We're not the average group of pirates, we help the innocent."
"Wait then what did you guys…"
"That's our secret; you don't have to worry. Junpei won't be bothering anyone anymore." Some of the tension I felt leaves and I don't have to worry about my uncle so much anymore.
"Thank you." His smile brightens even more if that's even possible.
"I think that's the first time you've smiled since coming here. Good girl." He pats me head "You need to smile; it will make you feel better in an instant when you feel down. besides you look better smiling Airi." I know I need to stay at a distance but talking to him is so easy.
"I'll…try."
"Good." He suggest that we go to bed and offers to take the floor so I can have the bed.
"W-wait but that's your bed! I'm already imposing enough as it is I can't anymore!"
"You're not imposing at all Airi beside I can't make a girl take the floor."
"B-but-!"
"You're taking the bed Airi; no more protesting ok?" he smiles but I somehow can tell he won't budge and I have to give up. As I get ready for bed pulling my head back I start thinking about what I can do that will make me useful. I messed up with both Thomas and Nathan in the kitchen. Russell does his own thing and Eduardo scares me, and I'm not even sure if captain Morgan does that much of anything other than drink. I can't think of anything…that means I'm going to be shark bait!
"Airi what's the matter?"
"Eduardo's going to kill me…"
"Why do you say that?" he asks a bit suspicious
"He wouldn't leave me alone about finding something to do, and…he said that if I didn't find a way to be useful he was going to feed me to the sharks." Christopher sighs, "I…tried helping Thomas but I messed up there…and I even tried to help Nathan too but that didn't go very well either. I can't even think of what I could do now…" again he sighs making me think he's getting annoyed with me but,
"Listen Airi, you should take that seriously. Eduardo is just messing with you? He likes twisting people's arms and watching them…panic like you're doing. But he isn't going to actually do that. Although I think telling you he's going to throw you to the sharks is a bit much…he won't actually do it."
"So…he's just a big bully?"
"Pretty much. He picks on Thomas and Russell all the time and gets under their skin too. Although I'll have to talk to him about that; and if he really is so intent on being such a bully about you not having a job on the ship, why don't you help me."
"Help…?"
"Yep, I have a lot of work to do on the ship since I'm the doctor. I could use some help. So how about it do you want to help me?"
"um…I'm not sure I would be much help…I'm not that fast of a learner…it takes me a minute to catch on."
"That's alright…in order to learn something and be good at it takes time and practice and I'll help you as well." Well when he puts it like that I guess it should be ok. I look up and smile
"Yeah ok…"
"Good." He pets my head again, "now we should go to sleep ok. We usually have an early start here."
"ok."
…
In the dark room I still find it hard to sleep since I'm not used to the new surroundings. Christopher even though he was sleeping on the floor fell asleep so quickly I was really surprised.
You seem to be somewhat relieved.
I guess I am…they really are different from other pirates that were at the bar.
That's just from first impressions. You can't trust them that quickly.
Paranoid…as usual.
But…I have to say…they aren't as dangerous as what I thought they would be. They do seem different..
Wait are you having a change of heart about them?
Hmpf…don't make me laugh. It will take more than just kind gestures for me to trust them…even the doctor. But at least I can trust them enough to not have to kill them instantly when they enter a room.
Well…I guess that's a start…please try to remember what we talked about though ok?
mmm…
Goodnight Soul…
Sleep well Airi.
Please review and give feedback on what you think please. ^^